Insomnia
by leoslady4ever
Summary: Our past makes us what we are, but when time is tweaked just so, things can go topsy-turvy. By strutting her stuff, Lucy lands an unexpected partnership with the most unlikely guild member: Mystogan. Having to work together & deal with the awkwardness of dopplegangers, they need to get their act together, before Edolas pulls the plug on an alliance that could change them forever.
1. I'll Sleep When I'm Dead

_Hi guys! So this story is my friend's baby, and I was asked to be a co-author. YAY! So excited about this! So, we will be alternating the writing of the chapters. This first installation is from **Sin of the Fallen**. _

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_**A/N: For you Lady. A kick-ass Lucy and Mystogan pairing. This is what could have happened if the Mystogan introduction was after the Laguna Island and Phantom Lord. And Edolas was just NOT going to happen.**_

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**CHAPTER 1 - I'LL SLEEP WHEN I'M DEAD**

Lucy sipped happily on her delicious strawberry-lemonade concoction. Mirajane had made it for her, and Lucy just could not get enough. It was _that_ good.

As she suckled it, with loud slurping that would have horrified her father, she idly listened to her loud guild. All the sound they made just by going about their normal routines covered up her slurping, so Lucy did not really care about the noise she was making.

She opened her eyes, after they had been closed in delight for a while, and smiled around her straw at Mirajane. The bartending mage giggled at her before Lucy returned to sucking in all that yummy cold slush.

All of a sudden she felt unbearably sleepy. Almost as if she had needed sleep weeks ago but forgot to lay down for a nap. It was pretty odd, but a quick ruffling and shaking of her magic dispersed the unnatural feeling. Someone was probably experimenting and a spell got loose. Lucy shrugged to herself. These things tended to happen, since Fairy Tail was a magic guild.

As she was about to return to finishing off her smoothie, Lucy finally noticed it. The guild was silent. Startled, she swiveled about on her stool to see what was going on. What she saw stunned her. Everyone was on the floor asleep!

But that sleep looked highly unnatural. Everyone was too calm, too still, too silent. She knew Natsu sleep-fought and Gray sleep-talked, just a few for example.

However, there was one person still awake and standing. She had no idea who the stranger was, but they had a man's build. He was covered from head to toe, only a thin slit for his dark eyes to peer out of. And he was armed.

Lucy counted at least three staves on his back, each one quite different from its fellows. She looked into his eyes and could tell he was badly startled by how wide they were. Obviously he had expected everyone to fall asleep.

Well, too bad for him she knew a trick or two to prevent this kind magic from affecting her. Thankfully his spell was all blunt force with no subtlety, so she had figured it out in time. Lucy's eyes turned flinty as she reached for Gemini and Loki's Keys. She would defend her guild and buy time for everyone to wake up. Even if this attempt might cost her everything.

She nearly turned about in shock when Makarov's voice rang out "Lucy! Mystogan! _How_-?!" But her father had taught her well in some regards. His words grated within her ears, overriding Makarov's ranting.

"_Everything is an ambiguous battlefield Lucy. Never turn your back on an enemy until they're dead, and use everything at your disposal to usher them into that state._"

She had only left her previous foes breathing out of respect to Fairy Tail's rules. Not even Laxus had dared to kill his opponents, that was proof of how much everyone respected Fairy Tail; and she had heard just how cruel he could be. But this man was not going to lie down and die, unfortunately. Grimly she concluded it looked like she was her father's daughter after all.

Lucy Called Loki and Gemini silently, watching as the Lion and a Gray doppelganger leapt through golden pools of light. As soon as Gemini was out she brushed her hand against theirs, letting them know to follow her lead. Without a word she sprang forward, whip snaking out to snatch at the fan staff while Gemini quickly iced the floor under the stranger's feet.

By the time he could react, her whip had caught and yanked the fan staff away to crash behind the bar. The pull of the staff forcibly dislodging knocked him off balance and the ice sent him crashing down. A sickening crack from his skull hitting the ice echoed in the silent guild.

With a gesture from Gemini the ice grew over his hands and feet, along with restraining the rest of his body, that made bands about two inches thick. Another gesture had the ice forming an awkward makeshift gag. But Lucy did not kid herself about her foe. If he had not been so utterly shocked it would be _her_ on the floor. She quickly stepped over to Gemini and brushed hands again.

Gemini nodded their head and made an ice dagger in their left hand before coaxing the ice away from the staves. They reached for the staves with their right hand and jerked it back with a pained hiss. They then covered the hand in ice to remove the four staves they found. Once they were away from the intruder Gemini encased them in a thick ice block before returning the right hand to normal.

Lucy nodded approvingly to Gemini and grinned as she walked over to them again and gave them a high-five. "You two were great! Thanks for the help Gemi, Mini!" They blushed a bit in embarrassed pleasure before asking Lucy,

"Should we touch him?" Lucy was about to reply an affirmative, internally praising the usefulness of their skill, but Loki and Makarov roared out "NO!"

Both Lucy and Gemini were visibly taken aback and shot each other surprised looks. Why should Gemini not transform into the intruder? They turned around to face a pole axed Lion, and a gaping Makarov and Laxus. "Master?" queried in confusion before rounding on Loki.

"And you _Mr. King-of-the-Zodiac_! Why the hell didn't you help me out? Thank God Gemi and Mini did or who knows what would have happened!" Loki was still looking pretty out of it when he half muttered, half shouted, "Lucy! You just took down _Mystogan_! No one's ever stayed awake before, much less beaten him!"

Lucy frowned at him. If he was acting like this maybe she should have called Cancer instead. Just as she was about to switch out the two spirits she heard Makarov start shouting again, even as he could not stop laughing through his order.

"Lucy! Let him go! He's one of ours!" Lucy wanted to hit the diminutive man on the balcony for not saying so earlier, but she refrained. _Master could be under a spell…_

"Master, I wish to ask Gemini to scan this man and make sure this really is 'Mystogan'." Makarov looked down at his impudent child, both pleased and irritated by her caution. Then he wondered if she was the reason Team Natsu had stuck to destroying _parts_ of a location instead of the whole area.

"Lucy, you've done well child. Defending your nakama while they are defenseless is a most noble action, but I _do not_ want Mystogan copied Lucy. He has _excellent_ reasons for his method of reporting to me."

Lucy hesitated. Was this really a wise course of action? _I guess I'll just have to trust Master on this._ She sent Loki and Gemini back with a smile and Called Taurus to come and carry Mystogan and his weapons to Makarov's office. With the perverted bull following her loyally with a still confused Mystogan slung over his shoulder, Lucy missed her nakama beginning to stir along with Laxus' belated reaction.

"_What the fuck?!_"


	2. No Time For Snoozing

_Here is the promised second chapter of our co-authored story! YAY! So excited! Hope you guys enjoy my chapter as much as you did Sin of the Fallen's. _

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_Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail - I promise I don't, even though I'd like to._

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**CHAPTER 2: NO TIME FOR SNOOZING**

Lucy stepped into the Master's office, confusion plastered over her heart-shaped face. She still couldn't understand why all the secrecy was so important. If Mystogan was a member of Fairy Tail, then why was he putting everyone to sleep? And why was Master allowing it? She was torn from her musing by the sound of Taurus dropping Mystogan rather roughly onto the floor. The bull spirit winked surreptitiously at Lucy, as she sent him back home with a murmur of thanks and a mischievous grin. At least some of her spirits agreed with her, she thought.

"Now Lucy, that was a bit uncalled for, don't you think?" Makarov asked, his face showing his mirthless opinion of her rather childish behavior.

Mystogan watched the interaction as he silently rose from the floor, wanting nothing more than to demand that she call that spirit of hers back, so he could kick its ass. Still, he couldn't really fault her for her actions. She'd only been trying to protect her defenseless guild mates, and she'd done so with rather beleaguered ease.

He'd never been handed his ass quite so eloquently before, and that was saying something. He had been in numerous fights, faced many foes, but never had one put him in his place so well. Not one had escaped his sleep spell the way she had. He felt a grudging respect for the Celestial Spirit mage, even if he was still peeved with the way he'd been quite literally tossed on his rear.

She shrugged her shoulders, feigning innocence, saying, "I didn't tell him to do that. I just found it a little amusing. Now, will someone please tell me what's going on?"

The pint-sized master rolled his eyes in her direction, before hopping onto the desk to pace back and forth across the surface. He clasped his hands behind his back, and spoke, turning the question on Lucy, "Why don't you first explain how it is that you can withstand his sleep spell?"

The blonde sighed as she briefly explained, "My magic isn't anchored in Earthland, because I work with Spirits from the Celestial plane. So when I got hit with that spell, my magic remained undisturbed. It was simple to drive it out, once I realized it was a spell. It wasn't exactly subtle."

Makarov nodded sagely in understanding. "I see. Very useful in cases like this. Now, about Mystogan...you must never copy him. There are things about him that must never be known to anyone else in our world."

"Why did you say it like that? Our world? Are you trying to say there's other worlds?" Lucy asked, her brow arched in bewilderment.

Mystogan shared a look with Makarov and stepped forward to tell his story, "I'm not from here, this world. I come from a place called Edolas. The Master has known for a long time, and has helped me hide my secrets."

Lucy's focus snagged on his last word, secrets. Not one, but plural. 'What else was he hiding?' she wondered. So she asked, "What other secret are you keeping? You said secrets – plural."

Mystogan shifted as if he was uncomfortable at being caught red-handed, before looking to the man who'd helped him so much. The master gave a brief nod of assent, and Mystogan reached up to his head. He wasn't sure this was such a good idea, but if Makarov deemed it safe, he'd follow his lead. He just hoped this spitfire of a woman was as worthy of the old man's trust as he seemed to believe her to be.

He pulled the cloth away from his face, before pushing the hood of his cape back. He knew the moment the girl discovered what he'd been hiding. Her gasp filled the room with a shock of sound, followed quickly by a sharp question, "Jellal?"

The blue-haired man's head sank; of course, she would think he was actually this world's Jellal. He didn't even know why he'd thought the outcome would be otherwise. He raised his head to level her with a blank face and said, "Yes, actually, I am Jellal. I'm just not this world's Jellal. I am his counterpart from my world, Edolas."

Lucy squinted her eyes in thought, before addressing him again, "So, you mean, we all have counterparts in your world? There's a Lucy there, as well?"

Mystogan nodded in confirmation as Makarov elaborated, "They look exactly the same as us, however, their personalities are completely different in many cases."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

Mystogan cracked a small smile, as he thought of a member of Lucy's team. "I hear the Natsu in my world is pretty obsessed with all types of transportation, and he's kind of a chicken."

The blonde's jaw dropped as she considered the new information. 'Surely, he's joking,' she thought to herself. She waited for the "Just kidding" to come, but the Jellal look-alike just stood there, watching her attempt to process his version of her friend. Lucy shook her head, turning back to the topic at hand, "So, now what?"

Makarov blinked at her, "What do you mean?"

"Now, that I know about Mystogan or Jellal or whoever you are, what happens next?" she asked, waving her hand around in confusion over what to call the man.

The master nodded shortly, before answering, "I think it would be wise for you to be out of the guild for a while, Lucy. It will help to curb your instincts to be truthful with your friends about what you now know." He could see the girl wanting to argue, but he held up his hand to silence her and continued, "I know your intentions are good, but I also know that you hate lying to them, so I think the best option would be for you to go on a job for now. I have one right here that will require you to leave immediately. You'll only be gone for a week or so, but it will give you time to work past the newness of this information and to also understand why it must be kept quiet."

Lucy huffed as she took the proffered job request and looked at it. Her eyes bulged as she read through the description. "Master, I can't take this job! It's way too much for me by myself. I'll get killed!" she exclaimed, shocked that he'd expect so much from her.

"I know all that, Lucy. I know what my brats are capable of, and I'd never send you to your death," he scoffed, elaborating, "That's why Mystogan is going with you."

She stalled for a moment, before shouting, "What?! Why is he going with me?"

Mystogan was sporting a rather confused look too, as Makarov took a deep breath and told them, "The two of you are now sharing a secret, so you need to find a way to get along. Take this time to get to know each other, by traveling and fighting side by side. Learn to trust one another. Who knows? You may find you enjoy each other's company..."

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**_A/N: Oho! Is Makarov playing matchmaker? Or is he just covering Mystogan's ass? lol_**


	3. Restless Fairies

**Chapter Three: Restless Fairies**

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_A/N: Thanks everybody for looking at our story! And make sure to thank Lady, without her I'd never have even scribbled the idea down! And as we have found no stories of this pairing, we are staking our claim on naming them! Sacred Spirit! (Explanation: Spirit - obviously for Lucy's magic. Sacred - comes from one of Mystogan's most powerful spells: Sacred Song)_

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**Sin:** Lady, is there romance in the air or is it just my imagination?

**Lady:** If there isn't now, I'll make sure to pollute their air as soon as possible! :)

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Lucy really wanted to see how far she could punt her diminutive master. That smug look on his wrinkled face was begging for a Lucy Kick to wipe it off.

She looked at Mystogan -or Jellal, but she was sticking with Mystogan- and saw he would be happy to assist her master in his flying lesson. Lucy returned to glaring at Makarov. "We've never worked together before! How can we possibly go head-hunting for that Tyr Maros? He's the Guildmaster of the Unicorn Gores!"

The name of the noxious dark guild was ridiculous, but it made a twisted kind of sense. While no one was sure of the magic Maros wielded, there was always two identifying clues left on his victims. Around the area was always several equine hoofprints, and the victim was impaled multiple times until Maros ended his game by impaling his victim's throat. Forensics always concluded that until Maros went for the throat the victim had a chance of surviving, and that they were aware when Maros left them to die.

His guild was just as vicious and was known to be highly loyal to Maros due to the fact most of the mages were under a geas to obey Maros. The true test of this mission would not be Maros himself. She knew that with Mystogan/Jellal- Man I really need to figure out what to call him!- that Maros would not be a problem.

The thing that would make this an S-Class mission was the fact most of the guild was made up of kidnapped mages that were magically forced into Maros' ranks. They would have to fend off these mages, who were going to attack them without care for their lives, without killing or critically injuring someone.

My best options would be Aquarius, Sagittarius, or Scorpio. I'll need to make sure they can work with Mystogan, and if Aquarius and Sagittarius get along. Plus Scorpio too. Man this is going to be a nightmare! Lucy grimaced as she thought further about Aquarius and her many issues. This might be the mission she would have to lay down the law.

Lucy turned to her new partner. He looked back at her and they shared an uncertain glance. How were they going to pull this off?

Mystogan sighed in defeat and looked away before looking at Lucy again. Lucy was almost surprised by how easy it was to understand his silent pleading. She frowned very lightly, but nodded her assent to him. He heaved a sigh of relief before turning to a bemused Makarov.

"Alright. We'll take the job. But we won't be leaving today." Mystogan regarded Makarov with tight eyes. He knew Makarov was not going to let them out of this, but he refused to be shoved out the door so unprepared!

Mystogan needed to plan with his new partner, try and work out how to mesh their magic styles, and prepare for a massive battle. This was not a simple mission and would have been difficult on any level, let alone S-Class. He closed his eyes for a second. There is so much we will need to do. Thank God this isn't Laxus or Natsu. Wait... Did I just give thanks for being partnered to the girl that handed me my ass?

Makarov, grinning widely, was thinking of the name he was going to bless this new team with. He might even make this a permanent shift if Mystogan proved he could truly utilize Lucy. Makarov knew she was friends with her teammates, but he also knew she was often frustrated by their inclination to coddle her.

"Glad you see it my way. Try heading out by late tomorrow please, if you can. Maros was never known for his predictability!" They nodded at Makarov before turning to leave, already conversing on how to get Mystogan out of the guild.

"I'd prefer it if you didn't leave our nakama unconscious if you can help it."

"It is the most efficient way, and Laxus and Natsu can't try and force me to fight when they're asleep." Makarov interrupted Mystogan, earning a rude look from both of them. "I was going to ask you, before you assumed to leave, what you thought of your new team name!"

Lucy looked to Mystogan, who raised his eyebrow in a way that said "This should be interesting." Makarov happily ignored them. "I was thinking of Star's Myst, or reversing the order, or perhaps Starry Myst!"

Lucy and Mystogan blushed, glanced at each other to see their reaction, and blushed harder. They thought together in unison, What is Master doing?! Trying to imply we're a couple?!

For some reason Lucy got the feeling Makarov was teasing them, and she could not understand why both of them were acting like it was true! Punting Makarov seemed to be the only logical method to end his evil shenanigans.

Mystogan looked back at Lucy, after finally regaining his poise, and shuffled over to her to carefully lay a restraining hand on her shoulder. She looked to him, startled by his actions. "I know what you're thinking of doing Lucy. As much as I'd like to watch, we're going to need Makarov to keep the Slayers in place. I can't cast the spell again, it could hurt the weaker members if I put them to sleep so soon after the first one."

He watched her carefully, noting how she seemed surprised at how he knew she was about to make Makarov regret opening his mouth. Mystogan smugly thought to himself, Can't let her know I knew what she was up to because I was considering it myself. After handing me my ass, I'll take all the awe and respect I can get.

Mystogan did not know it, never being around people, but his eyes danced with mischievousness. Lucy had never met someone who actually could laugh with their eyes. She had thought it was simply a fanciful description only found in her books. She also noticed his eyes were actually the deepest shade of sapphire when he was amused. Lucy smiled at the man and was not quite sure why she did.

"Come on Mystogan. We can head to my apartment and talk."

Lucy spun around, knowing he would be following as soon as he restored his disguise. She could not hear him walking behind her, but she knew he followed her. Lucy idly wondered if this was how they would work from now on.

Lucy opened the door and was met with a crackling Natsu, sparking Laxus, and gnashing Gajeel. It was a wrath of Dragon Slayers and she knew what these three idiots were here for; Mystogan. Lucy could hear the creaking of Makarov's chair as he left it, but she wanted to attempt something first.

"Mystogan. Water please." A large palm curved around from behind her to hold a handful of water right by her hand. He had left enough room for her to draw her Keys. The three Slayers had just quit growling when she pushed Aquarius' Key into Mystogan's water.

Lucy frowned at the Slayers. Why were they ready to attack? And why was Makarov doing nothing? "Please back off guys. You really don't want to meet my Spirit this way."

A trickle of fear iced down her spine, even with the freezing poise she had adopted from her past meetings with her father. There were two pairs of eyes she would not meet as she stared into Natsu's. If she could get him on her side, numbers would make the other two morons pause long enough for Makarov to stage an intervention.

Natsu gulped visibly as she twisted her Key. He knew what the Spirit was like and he enjoyed being able to breathe. Natsu then glared at the dark eyes that seemed to laugh at him. Mystogan was enjoying this, that bastard. Natsu then grinned a fanged grin and backed off.

According to a hysterical Loki, Lucy had wiped the floor with Mystogan; so his fight was not with Mystogan now. His fight was with Lucy.

He shot his blonde friend his brightest grin. "I'm all fired up! Lucy let's fight!"

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**Lady:** Bet you guys didn't see that coming! lol Well done, Sin!


	4. Taking You Out

_Thank you all my faithful followers. You guys are completely awesome for staying with this story. Hope you enjoy chapter 4 from yours truly! Love to hear how you think the story flows between myself and **Sin of the Fallen**, so drop us a line..._

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_Hiro Mashima is the man - he owns Fairy Tail always..._

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**CHAPTER 4: TAKING YOU OUT...**

Lucy shook her head in slight amusement, as she sang, "Just remember, you asked for it." She turned the key the rest of the way in the water, yelling out, "Open, Gate of the Water Bearer, Aquarius!"

In a torrent of water, the vicious mermaid appeared, looking furious beyond all reason, as she glared at Lucy, shouting, "Why did you summon me? I was on a date with Scorpio!"

Lucy, her face stoic, pointed a finger at the three Dragon Slayers, offering her explanation, "I just thought you might want to know that they said you suck."

Natsu choked, making strangled sounds, as he tried to find the words to deny Lucy's accusation. He saw his life flash before his eyes, when Aquarius rounded on him and the duo beside him. She let loose a roar, as she lifted her water jug and blasted them out the second floor window. Lucy stood beside her newly appointed, stunned partner, trying valiantly to keep from smiling.

Aquarius turned around, her pot still raised, and pushed her face into Lucy's, hissing a command, "Don't call me out for another month! I'm going on vacation, with my boyfriend! You hear that? My boyfriend!" She scowled viciously once more before disappearing in a swirl of water.

Mystogan gave her a confused look and said, "You realize they didn't say anything about your Spirit."

"She didn't have to know that," Lucy quipped, shrugging her shoulders in the process, "You wanted to leave without a problem, right? This was the quickest way. Now, let's go."

She reached out and grasping his hand, tugged him down the stairs and out the back door. Unfortunately for their plan of a quick escape, the three Slayers were already standing up, each with an annoyed expression. Lucy and Mystogan went into fighting stances, as Gajeel growled out, "What the hell was that, Bunny Girl?"

"I did tell you that you didn't want to meet her," Lucy said, smirking lightly, "Now, are we done here?"

Laxus huffed, "Not a chance in hell."

Mystogan watched as they readied themselves, and wondered how to get them out of this without having to resort to a fight. _It didn't seem as if Lucy had that same idea,_ he realized, as she whipped out another key, shouting, "Open, Gate of the Lyre, Lyra!"

A young girl poofed out, greeting Lucy happily, before pouting, "It's been so long since you called me."

"Luce, why ya bringing her out? All she does is sing," Natsu called, his tone showing his confusion.

"I know, Lyra. Sorry about that. I need you to put that one to sleep," the blonde said, ignoring Natsu, while pointing towards man beside him.

Mystogan's eyes widened as Lyra began to play her harp and sing a soft, lilting tune, and the almighty Black Steel swayed. "W-what the fuck is going..." his voice trailed off as he gently collapsed into a heap.

Natsu burst out laughing, already planning to taunt Gajeel with the fact that he'd been taken out by a little girl. Lucy's mouth twitched with mirth, before she glanced over at Mystogan, asking, "Can you handle Laxus, while I deal with Natsu?"

Mystogan nodded his head, taking out his staves, and turning towards Laxus. The Lightning mage smirked at him, as Natsu called out, "I'm all fired up now, Luce!"

The blonde man shot forward with a shout, employing his Lightning Punch, but the cloaked man faded into a mist and reformed behind Laxus. Mystogan brought his hands together and pointed them downwards, calling up a wave of purple energy from the ground beneath the Thunder God's feet. Before Laxus could turn to lightning, the attack hit him, crushing him into the ground.

On the other side of the yard, Lucy called out another Spirit, her eyes firmly fixed on Natsu. When the bright light cleared, Natsu began laughing again, clutching his stomach for all he was worth. "W-what are you planning on doing with him?"

His words brought a flash of anger from the Stellar mage. "Don't underestimate him, Natsu. You have no idea what he can do," Lucy growled in return, "Plue, get him. Super Secret Stellar Spirit Art: Dancey!"

"Punn!" The wrinkly little dog flashed a magic circle beneath himself, before wriggling furiously. Natsu's jaw dropped as the creature performed his magic, so shocked that he didn't even notice that his body had begun to move. Plue's arms and legs jiggled in time to music only he could hear, and Natsu's appendages followed.

"Lucy, what the hell did you do to me?!" Natsu screeched, his face a mask of stunned horror, "I can't stop. Why am I dancing?"

The Celestial mage smiled, thoroughly entertained at her best friend's predicament, and mused, "The only way this could be funnier is if Plue made you do the Macarena." No sooner did the words leave her mouth, then Natsu was posing, one arm thrown out, palm down, then another. "Arrgg, Lucy what did you do?!" Natsu howled in mortification. Lucy's eyes widened as she glanced over at Plue, who was wobbling his hips back and forth and leading Natsu in the gestures of the funny dance.

She hunched over, letting out peals of laughter. This was better than she'd even considered, but now, she was really thinking. What else could they make him do. He was always running off half cocked, dragging her into mess after mess. She had missed out on so many rewards due to his carelessness, that she'd lost count, and the idea of a little payback was suddenly sounding so good. "Plue, do the Sprinkler!" she yelled out to her cohort. The little Spirit threw a hand behind his head, using the other to point out in front of him, and turned slowly like a sprinkler head. Natsu followed every movement perfectly, and Lucy found herself nearly on her knees.

She called out several more dance ideas for Plue to use on his prey, before leaving the small being to his fun. She turned back on the hilarious sight and reluctantly walked away. Laxus pulled himself up from the ground as Lucy strode towards him, with Mystogan once again beside her. He chanced a quick look at his partners, and stalled, trying unsuccessfully to wrap his mind around what he was seeing. Gajeel was sprawled out on the ground, drool dripping down his face, while Natsu was doing what he could only describe as the worst dance he'd ever seen, spewing out fire as he screamed his displeasure.

He shook his head and turned his attention back to the unexpected pair in front of him. "Since when do the two of you run together?" he asked, irritation coloring his features. He'd wanted a fight with Mystogan, not with the little Blondie. Although, considering that she'd kicked Mystogan's ass, then proceeded to knock Gajeel and Natsu out, he now was seriously considering the idea.

"We've been given a job, and you're keeping us from it," Mystogan spoke briefly, hoping Laxus would take the hint and leave them alone. He was getting quite frustrated at his guild members. _Did they think of nothing but fighting?_

Laxus grunted, "The old man gave you a job to do together...Why?"

Lucy put her hands on her hips, her patience at an end, "That's none of your concern there, Sparky. Now, we have things to do, so how about you let us get to it?"

Mystogan sighed as Laxus scoffed and fired off another shot at them. The masked mage grabbed Lucy's hand, turning them both into mist, allowing the attack to go right through their inconsequential bodies. The Lightning mage pointed a hand at the two, bending his thumb and index finger slightly, producing a bright flash of light, momentarily blinding his opponents. Her eyes suddenly useless, Lucy fumbled for a key, calling out, "Open, Gate of the Ram, Aries!"

The pink haired Spirit popped out, immediately assessing the situation, as Laxus fired off a barrage of Thunder bullets. Aries jumped in front of her master, yelling, "Wool Wall!" A thick cloud of wool sprung up around the three, just in time to stop the lightning attack. Lucy growled out in anger, as she sent Aries back with a quick word of thanks, "That's it! I'm about sick of this shit!"

Mystogan felt a jolt of camaraderie with the Celestial mage, understanding her aggravation at all the drama. He leaned in close to her, whispering in her ear, "I'm going to get behind him. Keep his attention for a moment." Before she could say another word, he went to mist again and was gone.

She squared her shoulders, pulling out another key with a shout, "Open, Gate of the Twins, Gemini." As the tiny beings became visible, the blonde called out her instructions, "Gemini, copy the slayers. This one first," indicating Laxus.

"I don't fucking think so!" Laxus ground out, getting ready to slip into lightning form. Suddenly, Mystogan appeared behind him creating a Five Layered Magic Circle above the blonde man, releasing a massive beam of magic down upon him.

As quickly as the magic had begun, it ended, with Laxus slumped on the ground, attempting to rise. Gemi and Mini took their chance, flying over and touching the downed mage. They floated over to Lucy, instantly transforming into a Laxus look-a-like, and began to recite information, "Laxus Dreyar, Lightning Dragon Slayer, strong, arrogant, total pervert, Daddy issues. Thoughts on Lucy: great tits; wants to date her, or at least see her naked."

"What the hell!" The shout rose up from every quarter, as Laxus quickly realized it hadn't been just Lucy and Mystogan who'd heard his secret.

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**_A/N: I had planned on having Lucy put Natsu to sleep, but Sin of the Fallen gave the brilliant suggestion of using Lyra on Gajeel and having Plue take Natsu out. Freaking genius idea! I totally laughed my ass off!_**


	5. No Rest For The Stars

**No Rest for the Stars**

**_A/N: Yo! Sin here! I just wanted to thank all of you for your lovely reviews!_**

Sin: Hey Lady, I really think people are going to like this chapter~

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Lucy stood there, thunderstruck. Inside her, a perversely pleased pride was warring with mindless animal rage.

On one hand an extremely good-looking and powerful mage was attracted to her. On the other hand, he just wanted her for her bouncing bosom. Animal rage won, easily.

"**Plue, thank you but you're dismissed.**" Lucy's voice had dropped nearly an entire octave as she had growled out her command to Canis Minor. The poor little dog was shivering so terribly when Lucy closed his Gate it was a miracle his limbs did not rattle off! And Natsu, freed of Plue's Art, quickly retreated behind the newly awoken Ezra Scarlet with a terrified squeal.

"**Open Gate of the Virgin, Virgo.**" The maiden leapt out of her portal with a look Mirajane, at her most demonic, would have been proud to have sported. Virgo turned to address Lucy, handing her what looked to be the handle of a whip. There was something terrible about the sheer malicious pleasure that coated Virgo's voice as she said, "**Punishment time, Princess?**"

Lucy was so enraged she did not even notice how Virgo's gift suddenly became a long length of star sparkled water with wicked protruding spikes. "**Yes Virgo, it's time for Laxus' punishment.**"

Lucy sent the whip flying with a sharp crack, and watched as it responded to her will, wrapping around Laxus' thick neck. Luckily for him, Lucy had unconsciously retracted the length of the spikes so they only heavily scratched his neck, instead of impaling him. But before Lucy let the urge to simply go berserk take her over, she managed to snap out orders.

"**Mystogan! Get back! Gemini, get Gajeel and get me some lightning rods!**" Both quickly scrambled to do her bidding, and Lucy yanked a confused Laxus back to the ground.

Laxus recovered quickly, his arms pushing him back onto his feet faster than most guild members could see. As soon as he had gotten to his feet, he sprang to the right, dodging a boulder Virgo had thrown precisely where his head had just been. While he was still airborne, Laxus felt something wrap around his right ankle with a ripping crack, bringing him down with a loud smack.

Lucy stood behind him with a cruel smile, having anticipated a more difficult leap, instead of the simpler, ground-based maneuver._ Dragon Slayers love hopping about like frogs._ She watched with a dark anticipation as Laxus, enraged, threw his hands behind him to push himself off his back and sprag to his feet.

"I was going to go easy on you Blonde, because I want to know how you resisted Mystogan. But I don't care about that anymore!" Laxus' fists became balls of shrieking electricity, and he charged forwards as he threw a punch straight at Lucy's face. It was too fast to dodge, but Laxus did not care, even as Lucy suddenly wore a grin that belonged on the face of a smug fox.

Lucy could tell her foe did not care about her tell and fought not to laugh. _He fell for it completely! He's forgotten all about Virgo and Gemini, and he's going to regret that! Because I'm not afraid to play dirty!_

Everyone watched gobsmacked as pillars or iron erupted from the ground, and one sprang up right in front of Lucy. Laxus' eyes widened, he had been planning to feint hitting Lucy in the face, and if she could block it, then slamming a second punch into her abdomen. But he could not stop his first fist fast enough to abort the Yamazuki; the pillar had sprung up when his fist was only inches away. The pillar shuddered under the attack, but held firm, even as Laxus hissed at the pain radiating from his right hand.

Lucy stood behind the pillar, listening to his pained hiss that told her he had probably broken his hand, and she was satisfied with the damage Laxus had caused to himself. Smiling delightedly, Lucy stepped out from behind the pillar, careful of the lightning that was enveloping Laxus' body. Her smile widened as she saw the lightning cloak was much too small for the amount of magic being pumped into it.

_Glad to see his magic works like regular lightning. Wasn't quite sure about that, or if he'd have the same fatal flaw as Gajeel and Natsu. Lucky for me I was right about both_. Laxus glared at the Celestial Mage, wanting nothing more at the moment than to see her body dance as his lightning cooked her. "Really fucking dirty trick Blonde."

Lucy beamed with pride, looking like someone had just gave her a great compliment. "I know. But_ this_ is _dirtier_." Laxus had enough time to let his eyes widen in shock as he whipped his head around. He found a demonic Virgo standing behind him, and then the world went dark for the Slayer.

Lucy smirked at her Spirit. "A little overboard there Virgo. Pinching that nerve in his neck will keep him out for a couple of hours. That rock to the head afterwards was a bit much."

Virgo blinked. "Apologies Princess, but I did not want to take chances with a Slayer." Lucy waved it away. Laxus would be fine so she did not mind. "Anyways Virgo, you were fantastic! I couldn't have done it, if you hadn't knocked him out before he got going!"

Virgo blushed in pleasure at the praise before bowing and closing her own Gate. Lucy mentally thanked her, knowing her magic reserves were getting low. Happily she walked over to the sharply grinning Gajeel doppelgänger. She idly wondered what Gemini's automatic information recitation had been, before pushing it aside to thank the Twins. "Perfect timing you two! Laxus didn't even remember you existed!"

Gemini laughed with Gajeel's odd laugh. "Gihihihi! Serves the bastard right. Forgetting the Twins is the worst mistake with all these raw materials nearby!" They nudged the unconscious Gajeel with a steel toed boot. "It's too bad this one has only fought all the elements that are difficult for him. He's a much better fighter than what he's shown you guys so far."

Lucy nodded with all due seriousness and resolved to think about that later. She sent Gemini back, but a quick hand brush alerted them to the fact they might be recalled momentarily. With a skip in her step, she trotted over to Mystogan.

"Ready to go?"

It was _then_ the rest of Fairy Tail finally pried their jaws from the ground.


	6. Getting To Know You

_Thanks for being such amazing followers! You guys are completely awesome, and I love talking to you all!_

_**Lady:** **Sin, I wonder what they're gonna think about the mission...hehehe...**_

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_Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail, these characters, and the entire setting of Fiore, whereas we only own this nifty little plot._

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**CHAPTER 6: GETTING TO KNOW YOU**

Mystogan stood there in shock, along with the rest of the Fairy Tail guild. He couldn't believe Lucy had taken Laxus out on her own, and viciously too. Though he couldn't fault her for it; hearing the disgusting way Laxus was thinking about her, certainly warranted such a violent action. Besides, if she hadn't handed him his ass, then Mystogan would have been more than happy to oblige her. It was his opinion that you simply did not think that way of a woman, to only be interested in her because of how she looks. From what he could tell, there was a great deal more to admire about Lucy.

Of course, he'd noticed her rather impressive physique; he was a man, after all, but he could see there was so much more to her than that. She was strong, and fearless, and fiesty. He found it rather interesting that he found that to be the biggest turn-on for him. He'd never been drawn to a sassy acting woman like Lucy before, but there was just something about her.

He turned from his musing as some of the guild members began regaining their ability to speak, calling out to Lucy in astonishment. It seemed that no one could believe that Lucy had almost single-handedly taken out three of the guild's strongest men. Lucy turned her back on the guild, rolling her eyes in my direction, before turning back around to acknowledge their hails. My mouth twitched at her antics. She truly was rather amusing.

"Lu-chan, you were great, but did you have to be so hard on Gajeel?" Levy asked, worriedly checking on the man behind her.

"Lucy, you were awesome. Are you sure you don't have demon in you?" Mira laughed.

"What a manly way to kick the Slayers' asses!" Elfman offered!

"That was completely...bitchin', Lucy! Way to...go!" Cana yelled, hiccuping between her words.

Lucy smiled at them all before turning to her best friend, who had only now returned from his hiding spot behind Erza, and giggled, asking, "You okay, Natsu?"

The pink-haired mage pouted at her mocking, and yelled, "Luce, I can't believe you attacked me with that...that dancing death machine!"

She burst out laughing again, and I couldn't help but join her. It had been more than a little entertaining to see such a naturally destructive force be quelled by a tiny dancing dog. Lucy whipped her head around to stare at me in surprise, saying, "I was beginning to think you didn't know how to laugh."

"We were in the middle of fight, you know. I was a little busy then, but I assure you, my sense of humor is perfectly intact, " I replied dryly.

She laughed again as she poked a dainty finger into my chest, musing, "You're so proper. I wonder what it would take to make you loosen up..."

_Was she flirting with me?_ I didn't know what to think, maybe it was an unconscious action. She was probably just joking around. I shook the thought away as Erza, Gray, and the others rushed forward to demand answers from the blonde.

"Lucy, I just gotta tell you - that was hot!" Gray spouted, as he threw an arm over my blonde partner's shoulder. _Another admirer, I suppose. Oh goody. _

Lucy brushed him aside, as Natsu let loose a yell from beside the still sleeping form of Gajeel, "Hey look! The bastard's still asleep! That gives me an idea!" He ran into the guild quickly, laughing the entire way, before returning with a black marker, and began drawing obscene pictures across the top of the Iron mage's face. A sinister smile alighted on Gray's face as he made his way over to the Fire Dragon Slayer, borrowing Mira's camera to document the evidence of Natsu's indiscretion.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing, Ice Prick? Give me that!" Natsu demanded, launching himself at his rival.

Gray sneered at the slayer, as he dodged, "Like hell! I'm gonna get you back for being a jackass all the time. Just wait'll Gajeel sees this!"

A poof of light later, and Loke had joined the group. The Lion Spirit bowed elegantly, reaching out to press a kiss to her hand, before declaring, "Princess, I can't believe you didn't call me out to deal with that perverted hooligan! You know I would have defended your honor!" _What the hell? Were all these guys chasing her skirts? _

"Oh sweet Mavis! Would you please stop calling me Princess? I didn't call you, because Virgo and I have an agreement. She stops asking me to punish her every time I call her, and I let her punish the perverts," Lucy answered, sounding completely exasperated at the situation, and yanked her hand away from the orange-haired man. Mystogan raised a brow at her description of the maiden Spirit. What an odd agreement. He supposed, though, if given the choice, he'd probably have done the same as Lucy, because honestly, he couldn't see himself spanking anyone.

Lucy then turned to Erza, who was shaking the Celestial mage's hand furiously, "Lucy, that was quite well done. You put the pervert down nicely. I'm so proud of you!"

Lucy winced, pulling her arm away from the rough-handed redhead, and quickly thanked her, before announcing to the group at large, "Sorry guys, but we've gotta go."

She walked over to Mystogan, grabbing his hand, and pulled him away from the chaos, calling out a quick, "Goodbye!"

As they headed off down the road, they heard a small voice squeal, "Oh no! I forgot about Laxus! I need to heal him!"

The two looked at each other and promptly began snickering. Mystogan couldn't help thinking they probably shouldn't be enjoying Laxus' pain so much, but both knew the man could be a complete and utter ass. Needless to say, the need to be kind quickly went away.

"That really was quite impressive, Lucy," Mystogan told her, his eyes darting down to their still connected hands._ Why wasn't she letting go?_

Unknown to him, Lucy had caught his perusal, and began to tease him, "What's the matter, Mystogan? You don't like holding my hand?"

"What?" he asked. "No...I mean, yes...I mean..." he trailed off as he caught her eyes dancing with merriment, "You're not funny."

"I don't know...I think I'm pretty hilarious," she giggled, as she started swinging their joined hands, "I bet you think the same thing. You're smiling under there, aren't you?"

He kept his face in control, saying matter of factly, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Oh, sure you don't," she said, smirking at him, before stopping to ask, "Do you ever take that thing off?"

"What, the mask?" he inquired and seeing her nod, added, "No, I don't."

She paused for a moment, tapping her finger to her chin, then tossed a saucy smile at him and asked, "So you're saying, that when you get a shower, you're naked everywhere, but your face?"

"What? No, I mean...what? Why would you ask me that?" he answered, stumbling over his words. He couldn't believe she was asking him all this stuff. He'd never had anyone approach him the way she did. Either they were wary of him and kept their distance, or they were suspicious of him and got in his face about his identity. He'd never had anyone tease him the way she was doing now. He resumed their walk, looking over to find her watching him studiously once again. "What now?" he asked, wondering if he even wanted to know.

"Hmmm...I was just wondering...how do you kiss if you've always got that thing on?" she mused, biting her lip as if to hold her laughter in.

His mouth opened and closed for a moment, as he tried to find a reasonable answer to that question. Unfortunately, he had no answer, as he'd never been in that situation, and hadn't yet had a reason to consider what to do. _How the hell was he going to get out of this?_ "Umm...how far are we from your house?" he mumbled, attempting to divert her attention to safer topics.

She gasped, as she pulled him to a stop once again, "Don't tell me that you've never kissed anyone before!"

He sighed at her persistence, though he shouldn't have expected anything else from her, "It's never come up."

"How could it have never come up? Oh wait, you don't mean that literally, do you?" she asked, the last question causing her jaw to drop in horror.

"What? No, I didn't mean that literally! Where did you get that idea? That...works just fine, thank you very much," he huffed, feeling quite agitated that she'd hinted something so horrible about his manhood.

"Whew!" she exclaimed dramatically, as she wiped a hand across her brow, "That's a relief! I couldn't have helped you, if that was the case."

He cocked his head at the woman beside him. _What was she going on about now?_ He was beginning to believe he'd always be lost in these conversations with her. "Help me with what, exactly?"

"Why, help with your first kiss, of course!" she chirped.

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**Lady: Just wanted to do a shout-out to Claude Crane for his line, "dancing death machine". Hope you don't mind me using your words - it was just too epic to pass up! :D**


	7. Kiss This

_**Lady:** Okay, so here we go lovelies! Another chappy from yours truly, leoslady4ever! We hope you enjoy! BTW, so sorry I'm updating late. I had the chapter done before now, and just forgot to post it! Love you all!_

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**CHAPTER 7: KISS THIS**

Mystogan followed Lucy into her house, steadily trying ignore the blonde's insane suggestions. _How in Earthland had he gotten into such a situation?_ Oh right, he'd foolishly admitted that he'd never kissed anyone before. Brilliant plan that was now, seeing how she refused to leave him alone. _Honestly, why was she so hung up on this?_

"Lucy, would you kindly leave this subject alone?" Mystogan finally muttered, his patience at an end.

The woman rolled her eyes, poking him in the chest, and grumbled, "Oh, don't go getting all buttoned up and serious again. We were having fun!"

"I am not all buttoned up, as you call it," the man explained, gritting his teeth behind his mask in exasperation, "I just don't wish to talk about this anymore."

"Oh, come on. I know what you're doing, going all polite to distance yourself. You're not fooling anyone," she said.

Mystogan, stunned at her perceptiveness, acknowledged the accusation, "Maybe, but you didn't give me much of a choice. I did try get you to stop talking about it."

He watched her as she leaned back against the counter with her lips pursed in thought. His sight ghosted over her mouth, and he sighed at the new habit. It seemed that ever since she'd brought up the idea of the two of them kissing, he couldn't stop thinking about it. He shook his head, for once wishing his eyes were also covered by his mask, but at the very least, he was glad she hadn't noticed his preoccupation.

"You have a point. You did say you didn't want to talk about it," she said, her face scrunched up, reasoning it out, "So, we won't talk about it..."

"Thank you-" Mystogan began before Lucy stepped into his personal space, a sultry smiled on her face, and finished, "We won't talk about it anymore, if...you let me kiss you...just once."

His eyes blinked slowly, as he struggled to catch up again. He kept getting tripped up by Lucy; he couldn't keep up, and he could see that she was enjoying it. "How is that a reasonable compromise?" he mumbled as he stepped back, allowing some space between them.

Lucy followed him step for step, slowly pushing him back towards the wall, and answered, "It's the difference between doing something and just talking about it. We've talked about kissing, and now we can actually try it. Doesn't that sound fun?"

"Umm...I don't know about this. I think it might be a bad idea," he stammered, moving back again, uncertain how to handle this. He'd always tried to do the right thing, and right now, he wasn't sure what that was. He couldn't deny that she was enticing, her hips swaying as she took each slow, careful step towards him, and the thought of kissing her excited him. _But was that reason enough to do it?_

"Myyystogan," she sang, drawing his self-appointed name out in a way he'd never heard before. It was beyond sexy to hear it fall from her lips, and he could feel the pull of desire tugging at him. _What was it about her?_

He stepped back, finding the wall just behind him, and her lips pulled down in a pout. "Why don't you want to kiss me? Is there something wrong with me?"

"What? I didn't say that. I mean...hell, I don't know what I mean," Mystogan managed to sputter before giving up, slumping against the wall. This was one situation where he didn't have a damn clue what to do.

Lucy slid her hands up his chest and teased, "So, you do want to kiss me."

"I didn't exactly say that either," he answered softly, his body tensing at the sensations she had unleashed within him. He felt ridiculous having such a strong reaction to something so small, but no woman had ever been this close to him before.

"Hmm...that's true, but I can tell," she breathed, biting down gently on her bottom lip, "You keep looking at my mouth."

His eyes flew up from the unconscious distraction of her lips. He hadn't even realized that his gaze had been drawn away, or that she'd caught him doing it. Now, he was stuck, trapped with no chance of pretending otherwise, so he did as he always tried to do. He told the truth, "Fine, I do want to kiss you, but-"

Lucy pressed against him, her nimble fingers slipping his hood from his head, and said, "That's all I needed to know."

His breath hiked in his chest as her hands made their way to the back of his head, easily untying the bandana he used as a mask and dropping it to the floor. He had no clue what to do, where to put his hands, and he wanted to kick himself for showing such uncertainty to a woman like Lucy. He couldn't figure out why she wanted to kiss him anyway.

He'd never kissed anyone, and the more time that passed, the more that possibility seemed to fade away, but now, here he was, with a beautiful, tempting woman so close to him, he could almost feel her heartbeat. And he didn't have a clue what he was doing. He could only assume that this would turn out disastrously, but he couldn't bring himself to call a halt to her attentions. He wanted to feel her lips against his badly enough to risk it. He wanted her to be the first woman he kissed.

Lucy's hand slipped behind his head, bringing him down towards her, and whispered, "Relax. Let me show you what a first kiss should be."

He let his mind empty of his worries, and focused on the beauty before him. He watched as she leaned in, gently kissing first his top lip, and then his bottom lip. His eyes slid shut when her tongue ghosted over his mouth, tracing a wet path across the tender flesh. He sighed at the feeling, his mouth parting just enough for her to slip her tongue inside. She teased his tongue slowly, easing him into every sensation, showing him how to move with her. It took him no time to follow her lead, sliding his tongue past her lips to learn all that he could of her taste, and he groaned his satisfaction into her mouth.

It was everything he'd hoped it would be, and more, stimulating him past the point of being nervous, but it ended too soon. She pulled back from him, her face shining with happiness as he opened his eyes. He wanted more. He was unnerved, completely taken aback at the strength of that desire, the need to pull her back in, take over and ravish those pouty lips.

For once, he didn't consider; he just acted. There was no questioning himself, no wondering where to put his hands. That was all gone, replaced with a surprising confidence born of his desire. Quicker than she could react, he shot forward, cradling her face, and brought his mouth over hers. Lucy stood there for a moment, her body stiff with shock, before the tension fled, and she melted into his touch, tangling her hands into his hair. He angled his head, taking the kiss deeper, pouring all he had into it.

Mystogan was lost. He could think of nothing but devouring her. His control was gone, vanishing like the mist he turned himself into. She had pushed her way into his thoughts, and now they dominated him, demanding that he experience this feeling for as long as he was allowed.

Lucy wedged a hand between them, pushing against his chest to separate them, her breath coming in near gasps. "Damn. I thought you'd never kissed anyone before. What was that?"

Mystogan stood there stunned, struggling to reign in the voice in his head begging for another taste of her lips. "I don't know what came over me. I-I'm sorry," he answered, turning his aside in embarrassment and shame. He was suddenly afraid that he'd crossed a line she hadn't been interested in crossing. His body was still clambering for her, but now he was worried that he'd done the wrong thing.

The blonde laughed lightly, "What? Don't be sorry. That's got to be the hottest first kiss ever. Your reaction just means that you have definitely been celibate for too long."

The blue-haired man felt his face flush at her observation. He had believed he was done being embarrassed around her, but apparently that wasn't the case. He began searching for his mask in earnest. Never before had he wished for the small bit of cloth more.

"Hey, why are you getting so flustered?" Lucy asked, reaching down to swipe the bandana from the floor before he could grab it.

"I...I didn't know I would lose control like that," he stammered, steadily trying to avoid her gaze, "Now, can I have my mask? I need to put it back on."

The petite girl came near him, stuffing the bandana deep into her back pocket, and said, "First of all, it's normal to lose control. It's the nature of sexual contact; it takes over. The way you responded was sexy as hell, to be honest. So much passion." She paused, her eyes alighting with mischief, before continuing, "Now, as for your mask, you can have it back one of two ways. You can come over here and take it out of my pocket yourself...or we barter."

Mystogan arched an eyebrow in suspicion, momentarily forgetting his previous discomfort, and asked, "What do do you want in exchange?"

"A kiss. Another steamy, sexy kiss, just like before when you really let go," Lucy answered, her mouth twitching in amusement, "So, what's it going to be?"

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**_A/N: Now, whatcha think about that? :)_**


	8. Restless and Impatient

_**Sin:** This is the second version, fourth attempt at this chapter. Romance and I just don't quite meet eye to eye... And I've been really busy with school and a mess of other stuff. So enjoy!_

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Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail!

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**CHAPTER 8: RESTLESS AND IMPATIENT**

Mystogan's eyes narrowed in response, his body stiffening as he said coldly, "You're toying with me."

"What?" Lucy asked in shock. She wondered how he'd come to that conclusion. She had only meant it in fun, trying to get her partner to let himself go, but she supposed that was exactly his point.

His face clearly showed how he felt about the whole situation. He was serious. Did that mean he was serious about her?

"This is all some sort of game to you. I should have realized," he continued on in the same stilted tone, "I'd like my bandana back. Now." His voice was brittle and cold, like hoarfrost, and Lucy wondered if she should have simply ignored the instinct saying, "Make him smile, he needs to smile!"

If nothing else had set Lucy apart from Fairy Tail, it was her ability to _wait_.

Lucy had been waiting her whole life. Waiting for family. Waiting for affection. Waiting for change. Waiting for love. That was why her actions with Mystogan were a bit shocking for her as well as him. Though she handled the shock better.

Lucy never simply "leapt in'" voluntarily. It was not her style or her nature to get so impatient that she did not have a plan. Her inclination towards patience, diplomacy, and strategy was why her father had not simply left her as a future brainless bimbo to breed heirs for the Heartfilia Konzern.

Lucy had been the _heiress_ to her father's remaining love: the Konzern. Her parents had built it together, and her father saw the entire company as a monument to his dead wife. The fact he had considered Lucy worthy to potentially rule, whether outright or not, the Konzern was a major statement on his part. He had found _Lucy_ **worthy**.

Even after the initial shock of his announcement, it was heady stuff for the neglected girl for the longest time; until her flight for freedom. So, the fact she had acted on her desires without any forethought was as shocking to her as it would be to hear Natsu pronounce he was pyrophobic. As Lucy watched Mystogan's posture turn cold, stiff, and hostile, her mind frantically tried to understand why she had simply forgotten everything Seth, Ruby, and her father had ever taught her.

Honestly, she had been given a_ thorough_ education in seduction and bedplay. Lucy felt the familiar grimace try to resurface at the memories of those peculiar lessons. It was still horrifically awkward for Lucy that her father had paid for lessons in the art of seduction in order to secure her husband's attentions. Lucy resisted a shiver, the voice of her father's reasoning being called to mind.

"_Lucy, in this day and age it is now accepted to marry and divorce as you please. In a normal situation this would not be an issue, but the Heartfilia Konzern requires you to make an advantageous match. The Konzern also requires you to keep your husband and his attentions from wandering until he is of no use to the Konzern, unless the possible prenuptial agreement makes it worthwhile to do so._

_So to assure your success in... ahem, in the marriage bed, I've hired two assistants to teach you: Ruby and Seth."_

Ruby and Seth had been almost supernaturally beautiful, along with inconsistent alibis and histories. They had told Lucy they were fraternal twins that were repaying a debt to her father. But even now Lucy had no way to separate the truth from the lies.

Ruby taught her everything she knew about allure and sex, frequently recounting tales of her past conquests to induct Lucy into "womanhood." It was just as awkward as it sounded, and Lucy still felt uncomfortable enough with Ruby's lessons that she often tried her allure with a fraction of its true impact. Mystogan had had the honor of being the one to pop that cherry of hesitance.

Seth's role in this debacle had been even more uncomfortable. He had been the voice for the average male in one of Ruby's tales, giving Lucy a look at how the male brain reacted to each of Ruby's techniques or the situation in her stories. Sometimes he would even role-play as the man his twin had been trying to bed, _with_ his twin, to show Lucy how to put theory into practice. In the end of their time together Seth also taught her to recognize enough of a man's body language to pick up impending violence, and other basic emotions. Lucy knew she had never blushed so hard in her life before or after the twins.

Ruby and Seth, despite their sensitivity and the usefulness of their lessons, were yet another thing from her past Lucy wanted no one to know about. Lucy was intent on keeping it that way mostly because Fairy Tail would _not_ understand; Lucy did not think they could. But she winced as Mystogan's barb struck home harder.

Memories from her lessons from the twins harshly scolded her, forcing Lucy to sit back and _remember_ just who the hell she was dealing with.

She was losing her mind over _Mystogan_, a man who professed to be from an alternate reality and was the doppelganger of Jellal. Mystogan had been forced to hide his true identity for years without end, and had had little to no human contact. He had no friends and had never even touched someone in desire till Lucy had forcibly inserted herself into the position of being his "first." She had taken _advantage_ of this sweet, lonely man and had_ hurt_ her new partner.

Lucy felt like repeatedly slapping herself as she experienced an epiphany. She, Lucy Heartphilia, was most likely Mystogan's only chance at having a relationship with someone who could accept him as the proper, world hopping, doppelganger he was. No one else could know the whole truth, else the Magic Council would catch wind... And Lucy had heard in her father's circles of the monstrosities they would commit if they thought they could get away with it. It would be unbearably cruel to lead on a man in Mystogan's position, to have him develop feelings from her fooling around when there were no other fish in the sea for one such as him. Either she had to cease _any_ romantic gestures this instant and apologize immediately... Or give them a chance at a shared future.

Lucy watched Mystogan watch her. She knew he was about to speak further about this. Probably he would coldly say something that would _cut_ her, just as much she supposed her actions had done to _him_. What would her response be? Should she cut him off with her answer before he could even start?

Lucy wavered, and a very old memory offered her council. Her father had once answered a question for her when she was very young, before her mother had taken ill. She had asked him, "_How did you know Momma was __The One__?_"

Jude's answering warm chuckle had warmed her right down to her young bones. " _I knew your mother was The One, Lucy, because she was the only person who affected me so much I _willingly_ threw my sensibility out the window and just _acted_. Never before or after your mother have I taken such a _chance_ on someone I knew so little about. She made me forget to think, to plan, or to second guess my choice in partners. If she had not been my One Lucy, then _no one_ would have been."_

'_ They made each other so happy they were always my model for love, If Mystogan can make me at like my mother made my father act... I don't care if it's terrifying or that he's got enough issues for a dozen people. I'm taking this chance on him, on _us_._

_If he can make me feel even a fraction of what my father felt for my mother, he's worth the risk. I just better hope I haven't caused him to have some sort of revelation about closets and bananas after _that_ display_. '

Choice made, Lucy gave the upset man before her softest, warmest smile. Lucy's smile grew even softer as she saw how stunned he was, and she reached out to catch one of his balled up fists. "Hey..." Her voice was soft and gentle.

"I know I was fooling around a bit too much earlier, but it's weird." She watched as he twitched at the word 'weird.' "I've never met someone who has made me want to make them blush before..." Her smile grew as Mystogan proceeded to blush, just a little. "But I think that's pretty special in and of itself. So maybe..." Lucy's voice trailed off as groped for the words to express her thoughts and she blushed herself.

She was moving so fast with Mystogan! Her view of him had changed from enemy, to ally, to partner, to potential-lover in one day. It was like going faster than a calm Natsu could switch to Fighting-Mad-Natsu! Coins would be jealous of her flipping paradigms! '_Something about this man.._.' She concluded ruefully as she spoke quietly, but intensely.

"Do you think we could start over from the beginning? Do this properly? Give this... whatever this _relationship_ is, a chance?"

But even as her voice quieted, she could not look into Mystogan's eyes to watch his reaction. No matter how much she wanted to. Lucy wondered if she had ruined her chances at whatever was between them before she had even looked twice. Would he be too angry? Would he decide that celibacy was simply for the best?

Mystogan now held all the cards, but he made no sound, and Lucy did not know what to do. She had put herself out there, perhaps even more so than he had just a few minutes ago. Without thinking about it, Lucy's head slowly tilted downwards. Between them there was only a foot in distance, and either of them could breach it with one step.

_'For such a short distance, it's so wide...__**'**_ Her grip on his hand tightened and slowly, oh so slowly, began to let it slip away. She resisted seeing any symbolism in the action. '_Why won't he speak?_'

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**_LADY:_**_ Hope you enjoyed this, and we apologize for the late update! See you again soon with chapter 9!_


	9. Say Yes

_**LADY:** So, my little followers...I am happy to bring you chapter 9 of Insomnia. Finally, you shall know that delicious man's response! _

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_**Hiro Mashima** owns Fairy Tail. Just saying..._

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**CHAPTER 9: JUST SAY YES**

Mystogan stood there, shock filling his being, as he watched Lucy stammer her way through her question. He wasn't quite sure what to say. His head had been a whirlwind of emotions, and he couldn't seem to decide how he actually felt right now. He didn't mean to keep silent, to keep her waiting for his response, but the words just refused to come.

He had felt true desire, that well of fire igniting him from the inside out; it had been the most incredible experience he'd ever had. Here was a woman he truly enjoyed, one he wanted desperately, and with that, came the chance to have a real relationship, and he'd jumped in head first. He'd longed for a connection like this for so long, that he hadn't even stopped to consider that she may not be feeling the same way.

After that moment, she'd started talking and as each word came out of her mouth, his heart sank. He'd berated himself, because he should have known better than to hope a woman like her would take him seriously. He'd been so angry at her, for teasing him with her kiss, for taunting him with something he'd wanted for so long now, only to realize that she'd meant it all in fun.

Now, she'd whipped his head around again with her request to start over, making him unsure what to do. Should he take a chance with her, or just give up now before he invested anymore of himself? He watched as her head dropped, her shoulders drooping in disappointment, and then she let go of his hand.

He stared at her hand for a moment, his mind refusing to miss the similarities in the action she'd taken and their situation. This was the defining moment, the make or break decision, where he had to choose between taking the next step or letting her go. This was the end of the line, and ready or not, he had to pick a path.

She had left the ball in his court, after telling him what she wanted, and if he were to be completely honest, he wanted to say yes. Yes to anything she offered, but he had to be sure that this time, she was serious about him, about them having a chance. He couldn't handle any more games or false starts, but if she truly wanted him, then he was ready to take that leap with her.

Drawing in a deep breath, he stepped forward, just that one foot in front of him, and reached out for her, dragging her into his body. Her head lifted, her eyes shining with unshed tears as she smiled tremulously at him. That was all he needed to see, that little confirmation that this was what she wanted, and he brought his mouth down to hers, wrapping his arms tightly around her curvy frame.

His heart beat loudly in his chest, certainly loud enough for the woman in his arms to hear as she clung to him, pulling their bodies closer. Her lips parted, inviting him in for a taste, and he indulged her, slipping his tongue in to languidly brush against hers, needing far more than a simple taste. He wanted everything she had to give.

Lucy moaned into his mouth, her hands moving from his shoulders, and up his neck to tangle into his hair, her fingers tugging lightly on the deep blue strands. Her actions pushed against his willpower, causing him to tighten his hold on her, and he groaned, the atmosphere turning distinctly heated, as he kissed her fiercely. He had never felt this before, had never imagined that someone could slip past his defenses so easily and release every bit of control he'd placed on himself. This woman, this crazy, sassy woman had strolled in and stripped him of all the layers of protection he'd worked for years to perfect.

Lucy's hands slipped down from his head, smoothing down his chest, as her fingers unlatched his cloak, pushing it back to drop to the floor, and pressed into him. Mystogan's eyes popped open, and releasing her, eased himself back a step. He closed his eyes again, blocking the sight of her flushed face, and held up his hand, trying to reign in his raging libido. This was all moving way too fast.

They'd just decided to try to be a couple, and he wanted it to work for real, which meant that they needed to get to know each other before they got naked. He couldn't even believe he was having this conversation with himself, when days before, it wouldn't even have crossed his mind that he could possibly be having sex. It just all felt so surreal to him.

"We should probably slow things down here," he suggested softly as he finally looked back down at the woman before him.

She nodded slowly, taking a deep breath, and agreed, "You're probably right."

Mystogan swallowed hard as Lucy continued staring at him, and he cleared his throat and said, "You really need to stop looking at me like that."

"Like what?" she asked, her voice small in the silence of the room.

"Like you want me to kiss you again," he answered, his mind immediately flashing back to his first kiss, their first kiss, and he shook his head, struggling to clear his mind. He'd never had this much trouble keeping his mind out of the gutter before. "Look, we still need to come up with a plan for the mission."

Lucy bobbed her head again, saying, "Sorry. Why don't we make some dinner and then we can go over some ideas?"

"Sounds good," Mystogan replied, feeling immensely thankful to be doing something, anything at this point, to get his thoughts away from carnal pleasures.

The two moved to the kitchen, pulling out everything they needed to make a quick meal of shrimp fried rice. Lucy took control immediately, putting Mystogan to work on chopping vegetables, while she put on a pot of tea and got the rice cooking. As soon as she'd finished, she joined him at the counter with another knife, and began dicing as well.

Her kitchen was a decent size, making it fairly easy to move around one another, but Mystogan couldn't help brushing up against her as they moved past each other, or grazing her hand with his own when she handed him something. He tried not to go overboard, but the urge to reach out for her hounded him, and he found that those small touches helped to calm the need. He'd hoped she wouldn't really notice how often he had gone out of his way to touch her, but judging by the curious look she'd given him, he realized that had probably been wishful thinking. Now, he could only hope she wouldn't be bothered by it.

As they stood there, side by side, Lucy rocked her body sideways, barely bumping his hip, and asked, "So, what's up with the leggy things?"

"What? What leggy things?" he questioned dumbly, wondering what she was talking about.

"Those things," she said, waving her knife in the direction of his legs, "Those weird leggy things you wear."

He arched a brow at her, and said plainly, "They're pants."

Lucy pouted at him, and argued, "Those are not pants. They're weird leggy things. Do they even cover your ass?"

"What are you talking about? Of course they cover my ass. Why else would I wear them?" he asked, in exasperation.

The blonde grabbed a wok, tossing in the chopped vegetables and a drizzle of oil, before shrugging her shoulders at him and offering, "Well, they just look like big loops. I don't see how they could possibly cover your tush."

Mystogan groaned, but before he could reply, she quipped, "Here, let me see," and bent over to study his ass.

"Would you stop that?" he snapped, his face flushing in embarrassment as he turned his body away, "I should have left my cloak on."

"Dear Mavis, you blush more than I do," Lucy teased lightly, as she stirred their food, looking over her shoulder to add, "And I was right - your ass isn't covered at all."

"What?!" he asked sharply, his hand moving to check the accuracy of her statement, when Lucy burst out laughing and croaked, "I was just kidding."

He huffed at her in annoyance, crossing his arms over his chest as he glared at her and muttered, "You can be so...tedious."

"Tedious?" she questioned with a grin, "I'll tell you what's got to be tedious - putting on that outfit of yours."

"Why do you have such an issue with my clothing?" he grumbled, feeling slightly put off at their current conversation.

Lucy raised an eyebrow and answered, "You have to admit it's a bit odd. Haven't you ever heard of regular pants?" She moved closer, giving him a sultry look as she trailed a finger down his chest, and mused, "I imagine they'd be a lot easier to get out of than what you're wearing."

"W-what?" Mystogan stammered, acknowledging his shock as though it were an old friend. Apparently, her ability to surprise him into silence was still alive and kicking.

"I'm saying...when the time comes for me to rid you of your pants," she hummed temptingly, "It'd be much more efficient if I didn't have to unwrap you like a present."

The blonde turned, heading back to the stove with a smirk, leaving him there, swallowing hard, as he tried to rid himself of the mental image of her peeling away his clothes. _When the time comes,_ he thought, _She said, 'When the time comes.'_ What the hell was he supposed to do with that? He'd been trying to take his time, getting to know her, but how was he supposed to do that when she constantly reminded him of their attraction?

He was pulled from his thoughts as Lucy called out cheerfully, giving him a knowing smile, "Dinner's ready."

Mystogan blinked slowly as he accepted a bowl of their dinner, wondering just how long he'd stood there in a daze. His mind struggled, attempting to switch gears and focus on eating instead of - _No, he wasn't going there._ They needed to eat and talk.

"So, this mission involves a lot of innocent people," I began, pushing my brain to think over the job, as I scooped up some food, "We'll have to be cautious. We can't just barge in there and fight."

"Right, we already know the guild master will try to use them to fight us, so we need to find a way to get them out of the way quickly, without hurting them," Lucy supplied, pausing to take a bite, and swallowing before she continued, "I was thinking I could use Aries' Wool Bomb."

Nodding his head a bit, he asked, "That's where she shoots out all the wool that makes them all dazed and stuff, right?"

"Yeah," Lucy explained, "I figured I could go in alone, so they won't be suspicious, and then bring out Aries. That way we could get as many as possible without having to fight them."

Before she could even finish, I was already shaking my head in refusal. There was no way I was letting her go in alone. "I don't like that idea. What if they attack you as soon as you enter the building? You could get hurt. How about this: I use my sleep magic to put as many of them to sleep as I can, then we go inside in mist form to scout, and you finish off the rest with Aries," I countered quickly.

She thought over my plan, before agreeing, "Okay, that sounds reasonable. Now, what do we do about the master, Tyr Maros?"

"Well, it would be safer if we could take him out from a distance. Though no one is entirely certain of the extent of his abilities, we do know he is extremely dangerous," Mystogan said, his voice serious as he thought over the way Maros' victims had been killed.

"How about a distraction? I can have Virgo do her Spica Lock on him. It's kind of like Juvia's Water Lock, but with rock. I don't know how long it'll hold him, but it could give us time to formulate a plan of attack after we see what he can do," Lucy suggested.

He nodded once before speaking, "I suppose that's as good a plan as we're going to be able to come up with, considering the lack of information we have on Tyr Maros. We should probably get some sleep."

"Yeah, I am pretty tired after kicking the Slayers asses with you," Lucy laughed, as she grabbed their dishes and headed to the kitchen.

Mystogan followed her and helped clean up, putting the remainder of the food away in companionable silence. He sighed, enjoying the act of sharing something so domestic with her. It almost gave him a sense of home.

Lucy yawned, murmuring, "Let's hit the sack," before turning to head off to her bedroom. She paused, looking over her shoulder with a smile and asked, "You coming?"

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**_LADY: So, what are your thoughts on this? It's just about time to head off on the mission. Next up, Sin brings you bedtime :)_**


	10. ANNOUNCEMENT

_**ANNOUNCEMENT:**_

_Alright guys, I have to admit - I never thought I'd have to do this, but here it goes. I am taking a short break - a mini vacation if you will - but don't panic. I'm only going to be gone for about two weeks. Life has just been a bit hectic, and my writing inspiration has been pretty low. I don't want to go half-assed on my writing, hence the holiday. This will give me a chance to gather my thoughts and figure out where I want to go with my stories, and it will let me write with no worries over when I need to update. _

_Now, the only stories that won't be taking a break will be my collabs: **Stay With Me** and **My Dream of You and You and You**. Those stories will continue as per our usual updating schedule. _

_I promise, I'm not giving up on any of my stories. I love them all entirely too much for that. Just need a bit of space to let my mind rest. I'll still be on the site though, so if you have any questions, fire away. Love you all so much and thanks for your support!_

_-Leoslady4ever_


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